Middle English Dictionary Entry
liter(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | liter(e n. Also litter(e, litier, leter(e, letter. |
| Etymology | OF litiere, letiere, AF lit(t)ere & ML litūra, litera, letera. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A portable bed carried by man or beasts, a litter; hors ~ [see hors n. 8. (f)]; (b) a bed; also, bedding; also fig.; bed ~ [see bed n. (1) 1c.].
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)8541 : Sche akeuered..& was yleyd in liter, Al mast liche an hors bere.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.66.20 : Thei shul..bringen alle ȝoure brethern..in foure horsid carres and in literes [L lecticis] and in mulys.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.461 : In þe tyme of his deeth, he was ibore in a litere [Higd.(2): chariette; L lectica].
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.99 : Numerianus was y-lad in a liter.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)90/19 : Arthure himself was wondede to þe deth, but he lete him bene born in a liter [vr. litter] to Auyoun to bene helede.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.7379 : Teutran, for þe peyne Of his woundis, gan..compleyne..His officeris fast gan hem spede In a liter, maked ful ryal.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)9a/b : Basterna: a carre of lyter or a schare.
- c1425(?a1400) Arthur (Lngl 55)611 : He Myght not stonde on grounde, But on lyter ryȝt anon Was browȝt to Auelon.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.59/7 : She rooys owte of her lyttyr And come to kys the hye Auter.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)9604 : He..dide hym make a liter [F litiere], Corneled as an hors bere.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)10096 : And for that somme myhten neþer riden ne go, hom jn a leter weren they lad tho.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)5293 : And Teutra, the true kyng, was trust on a litter, Had hom to his halle, halfe out of lyue.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)37/27 : She..was caried to hem in a litter [F litiere].
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1147/7 : The kynge made to take hym downe of the lyttar and leyde hym uppon the erth.
- a1475 Heart & Eye(3) (Lngl 258)646,649 : Two foules whiche Ostrigges men call Bare on high in the eire in letere..Venus the goddes of loue moost entere. I sawe hir littere, whiche borne was so hye, Couered with a Cloude of gret substaunce.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38:Vietor)1547 : On a lyter they hur leyde And to the Castell hur ledd.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)92 : Do the to be bore in a lytier.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)93 : This a ferly thinge..I sholde venquyse myn enmyes in a litere.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)94 : Than he was ledde in a letere.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.8.3 : Froggis..schullen steyen up & gone..vpon þi lyter [altered to: bedding; WB(2): bed; L stratum].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)13817 : Quen he had made me hale and fere, 'Rise vp,' he said, 'wit þi litere And do þe forth.'
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)58b/a : And þe chyne is þe comon way of arteriez, neruez, spiritez, & vertuez, & þe litter or bedde [L lectus] of spiritual membrez.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)36 : For in a liter he lay, laser at Rome.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4910 : Alexander..fand a berne in a bedd..All lemed of his letere þe loge as of heuen.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)17 : And ther the traitours sought the Kyng yn all the chaumbur abowte, yn the withdrawyng chaumburs, yn the litters, undir the presses..and all other places.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)74b : Lytter [Monson: a Lyter]: stratum.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)158/590 : Lo, here a lytter redy cled..lordyngys, syn we shall go to bed, ye shall begyn.
2.
(a) Straw, rushes, etc., used to form the base of a bed; (b) straw, etc., on which horses, dogs, or other animals sleep; also, the refuse in a wild boar's den; (c) straw or the like put under, or mixed with, daubing.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)37a/a : Lectisternium: a brode bed or a lyter of a bed.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.1310 : Strauh was his liteer.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)307 : Lytere of a bed: Stratus, stratorium.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)1978 : And luk þer bedes ordand bene With litter larch & clothes clene.
- a1475 Bk.Courtesy (Sln 1986)435 : Gromes palettis shyn fyle and make litere, ix fote on lengthe with-out diswere.
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)41 : One is groome porter, that berith wood, strawe, russhes for the King's chambre, making the King's litters of his bed.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)743/17 : De lectis..Hoc stramentum: letyr. Hoc stratorium, idem.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)777/9 : Nomina pertinencia camere..Hoc stramentum: lyttere. Hic stratus: a bed.
b
- [ (1347) RParl.2.169a : Les Chivalx le Roi..& autres eirent en divers lieux..pernantz feynes, litere, feves, aveines, & autres choses. ]
- [ (1390) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.527/2 : Et pro pane equino, iiij d., et pro litura, vj d. ]
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)51 : Þe skabbe commeth to hem [hounds] whan..here litter and couche is vnclene kept.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)70 : In þe kenel shuld be picched small stonys iwrapped about with strawe of þe houndes litere [F litiere]..þat þe houndes myght pisse þeraȝenst.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)81 : If þe booris denne be depe, withoute litere, and þat þe boor lye nye þe erthe, it is a tokyn that it nys no fat boor.
- (1423-4) Let.Bk.Lond.I (Gldh LetBk I)288 : Al so that takers and purveours of hey and litere for the same housholdes maden afore this tyme here cast of hey and litere at here will.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)307 : Lytere, or strowynge of horse, and other beestys: Stramentum, subsisternium.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)646 : He coude noon othir help but leyd adown his hede In the doggis littir & wisshid aftir brede.
- (1465) Acc.Howard in RC 57291 : My mastyr paid to John Gylder for that he had payd for horsebred, hey, and leter, xiij s. vj d.
- (1468-9) Acc.Howard in RC 57534 : To pay to Thomas Masone for hay, liter, and otes for iiij hors.
- a1500(?c1440) Lydg.HGS (Lnsd 699)196 : As pilwes been to chaumbris agreable, So is hard strauh litteer [vrr. leter, lyter] for the stable.
- c1500 King & H.(Ashm 61:Hazlitt)166 : Hys stede into the house he lede; With litter son he gau [read: gan] hym bed.
- a1525(?1474) Cov.Leet Bk.399 : His bottell of haye of an ob. shall way vij lb., and his liter free.
c
- (1453-5) Mem.Ripon in Sur.Soc.81160 : Et de 2 d. solut. pro liter pro dobura ibidem.
3.
All of the young brought forth by a female animal at one birth, a litter; also, the bringing forth of young.
Associated quotations
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)307 : Lytere, or [Win: Lyter, of] forthe brynggynge of beestys: Fetus, fetura.